


Ice Cream Isn't Going to Save You This Time

by Kateera



Series: All In a Summer [6]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crushes, First Hug, Ice Cream, M/M, Meeting Mother, Summer, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 03:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11751333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kateera/pseuds/Kateera
Summary: Oswald runs into Jim at the grocery store and he'd be happy if he weren't there with his mother. Jim and Gertrud meet, it's mostly fine.





	Ice Cream Isn't Going to Save You This Time

**Author's Note:**

> Written for #GobblepotSummer2017, using the prompt - Ice Cream.  
> Anyone ready for fluff?   
> No beta, mistakes are all my own and I apologize in advance.   
> Please, comment and let me know your thoughts! I'm always down to talk Gobblepot.   
> Find me on [tumblr](http://kateera.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/kateera_) too!

“Hey, Oz!”   
  
Oswald spun around in the middle of the grocery aisle, panic rising in his chest as he found Jim walking towards him, carrying a basket and smiling.    
  
_ No. No. No. This isn’t happening. _   
  
Standing in the freezer section of a grocery store, his cart holding a solitary jar of peanut butter, and waiting for his mother to return from the restroom, Oswald wanted the floor to swallow him up. He wanted some masked idiot to knock the power out or even the start of the actual apocalypse; anything to keep Jim and his mother from meeting.   
  
“What are you up to?” Jim asked, reaching around him to open up the freezer door and grab a pint of mint double chocolate ice cream.    
  
“Injecting heroin into the popsicles.” Oswald said, cocking an eyebrow and staring until Jim blushed and laughed.   
  
“Haha, very funny.” Jim said, his eyes dancing with laughter. “I thought you shopped where I work is all.”   
  
This time it was Oswald’s turn to blush, looking down and frowning at the scuff on the toe of his left shoe. “I, um, not till you started working there.”   
  
They stood in silence for a bit, Jim playing with the pint of ice cream in his hand while Oswald kept an eye out for his mother.    
  
_ Please, just go. Go before she comes back and everything’s ruined. _   
  
Jim clapped him on the shoulder and Oswald tried not to wince. “So, are you coming over for the Halo rematch tomorrow? Hector’s been trash talking our team all week.”   
  
“Hector?”   
  
“Leader of The Butcher Boy’s? We smoked them last time and he’s convinced we were just lucky.” Jim leaned against the freezers and shook his head. “Poor man doesn’t know when to quit.”   
  
Oswald giggled and joined Jim, the cold freezer feeling wonderful on his back. “He just wants a chance to try and convince me to leave your team.”    
  
“Yeah, Brandon tried to tell me you were really a mole.” Jim glanced at Oswald. “You’re not right?”   
  
“Brandon’s an idiot and lucky that you do most of his thinking for him.”   
  
Jim leaned over, laughing with his hands on his knees, and a warm fuzzy feeling, that Oswald now associated with his building crush on his friend, washed through him. He thought he might be willing to do anything to keep Jim laughing.   
  
Gertrud came around the corner and Oswald wanted to disappear into the freezer behind him.

 

_ Anything but this,  _ He thought as his mother adjusted the fall of her skirts and headed their way.

 

“Oswald, I don’t like the bathrooms here. I always think someone is going to peek through those horrible gaps in the doors.”  
  
Giving Jim a look of helplessness, Oswald turned to greet his returning mother. “No one is going to be peeking, mother. You’re perfectly safe.”  
  
“Don’t say something like that!” Gertrud crossed her arms and frowned. “Just last night, the news had a story about an old woman being robbed while in the restroom.” Her eyes landed on Jim and her frown deepened. “Who is this? What does he want?”  
  
Pushing off the freezer, Jim walked up to Gertrud and held out his hand. “Hi, ma’am. I’m Jim, Oswald’s friend.”  
  
She stared at his hand and Oswald silently begged the universe for a break, that she would be in a gracious mood and not have a fit. Time seemed to stretch and then Gertrud held out her hand and gently shook Jim’s and Oswald felt it snap back into place.   
  
“So, you are the famous Jim who I’ve heard so much about,” Gertrud said, glaring at her son. “I was wondering if Ozie would ever get around to introducing us.”  
  
“I was looking for the right time,” Oswald explained, that time being NEVER in his mind.  
  
“My job keeps me pretty busy." Jim offered and Oswald could have kissed him if it wouldn't have made the awkward situation even worse.   
  
Gertrud looked at the two of them and hummed before finally shrugging and moving into position behind the cart. "Well, it's been nice meeting you, Jim, but we do have more shopping to do. Come along, Oswald. Say goodbye to your friend."  
  
Oswald hid his face in his hands and blushed at her sugary tone. She sounded like he was some small child not wanting to leave the playground. Feeling a hand on his back, Oswald looked up to see Jim smiling down at him with a look of happy tenderness. The vague idea that Jim might want to kiss him flitted through his mind. As two strong arms wrapped around him, he eagerly accepted the hug and melted into the embrace.   
  
"See ya tomorrow, Ozie," Jim whispered into his ear.  
  
"Call me that again, Jimmy,”Oswald retaliated, “and I really will start spying for Hector."   
  
Clapping him hard on the back, Jim stepped away and held out his hand to Gertrud again. "Very nice to meet you Ms. Cobblepot."  
  
Oswald thumped his hand against his forehead as his mother's face twisted in anger.   
  
"While my son may prefer that simplistic version of our name," she hissed. "My name is Gertrud Kapelput and I'll thank you to remember it."  
  
As she stalked off, violently pushing the wobbling cart, Oswald grasped Jim's arm and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that. She’s kinda sensitive about it."  
  
Jim nodded and patted Oswald’s hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her."  
  
"It's not your fault. And she’ll forget by tomorrow." Oswald pulled back and looked to see his mother heading with determined steps to the bakery. "She once threatened to hang herself because Mr. Yin, who runs a bagel shop down the road, went on vacation and didn't tell her when he would be back."  
  
"Wow, that's rough."  
  
Oswald put his hand to his forehead and pretended to faint against the glass doors of the freezers. "Yes, my life is an eternal struggle against misery. Rescue me!"  
  
Giggling at the theatrics, Jim grabbed Oswald's hand and then turned away in defeat. "If only I could! But I'm a poor grocer and have no fortune to lay at your feet."  
  
"But would not love sustain us?" Oswald asked, clasping Jim's hand to his chest.   
  
Turning around, Jim stared at him and then dissolved into hysterical laughter. It sang through the aisle and Oswald never wanted it to end. Jim's laugh was his favorite sound in the world.   
  
"You're ridiculous," Jim said, wiping tears from his eyes, and Oswald smiled at the gentle teasing.  
  
Standing there, holding hands with Jim next to a freezer full of ice cream, Oswald wondered if there had ever been a more perfect moment in his life.   
  
"Oswald, where are you?" Gertrud screeched and Oswald flinched at the volume.   
  
"I've gotta go. But I'll see you tomorrow. Hector won't know what hit him." Giving Jim one last smile, Oswald took off in the direction of his mother's voice.   
  
"Bye, see ya."   
  
Reaching the end of the aisle, Oswald turned to see Jim leaning against a freezer with his eyes closed. The sight puzzled Oswald, wondering what could have his friend looking so forlorn. He almost returned to Jim's side but his mother caught sight of him and waved him over.   
  
"They aren't completely out," she said, waving a loaf of day old bread at him. "Enough to last us through the week I think. Now come, I need tea."  
  
 _I'll try to ask tomorrow._   
  
  


 


End file.
